Shadows of Orre
by Angel Of Darkness And Light
Summary: 15 years have passed since Ciphter's attack. Orre is in a state of peace, but then a young pokemon trainer who is visiting her family finds herself entangled into a organization that uses shadow pokemon... Is it Ciphter? Read to find out!
1. Prologue: From Humble Beginnings

**Ok, this is my first attempt at a Pokemon story so forgive me if it's a little rough. It's based off of Pokemon Colosseum and XD, sort of. I plan to add some of the characters from those games, so it should be interesting. I'm not sure how long this story will go, but I hope to make it long as long as the ideas keep coming on. Please review this story if possible, for I may need some feedback.**

**Okay…..Now enjoy the prologue! **

My name is Maria Nicole Rose. I have two blue eyes and violet colored hair that goes slightly past my shoulders without a curl to be seen. I'm 17 years old and I stand at a medium height and am skinny as a stick to some. My life growing up has normal for a kid in a good society. I had friends, enemies, and acquaintances alike and a family that I cared for very much. Everything was, well, normal. I even became an accomplished pokemon trainer.

But why, then, did it have to change? That is a question that has plagued me for a long time. But, don't get me wrong-some of the things that have happened have been good. It's hard to explain…You have to go through it all yourself. You have to continue on down the never ending road no matter how bumpy it made be. You have to face sorrow, change, pain, and regret. But there are times when you smile, a sincere smile and laugh through you troubles. There's also love and happiness. This…This makes me believe that there's light always at the end of the tunnel so don't give up. Just keep pressing on….truly press on and don't turn back.

Perhaps your confused at what I'm talking about, so it's probably best that I explain with a story of my own. The story of how my life changed for me forever in both good and bad.

Prepare yourself…..

We'll start at a high point in my life to start it off, at a point that always makes me smile…

_Ah, those were the good old days…_

The stadium was filled with heavy tension as I stood in the arena. All eyes were on my opponent and I as we contemplated what moves our pokemon should do next. Each of us were down to our last pokemon, so there could be no mess ups from either side or the battle would be over immediately. My Blaziken panted from exhaustion as it stood on the battle field of the arena, not yet overcome by the blows of my opponent's just as tired Salamence. Standing tall and fists clenched, the fire pokemon seemed to be going on through sheer force of will and its complete trust in me.

It's trust in me to win the battle.

That trust added to the weights on my shoulders, pushing me further into a hole of shame and disappointment if I lost.. My heart pounded harder against my chest as I thought more and more about it, the pressure began eating me alive.

Sweat dripped down my face as I focused onto my opponent through my nervousness, my legs stiffening and wanting to give out. Shaky and wanting to faint, I probably looked like a mess to everyone. My opponent was just as tense as well, although he did his best not to show it.

He was a tall beefy man that looked to be in his early thirties at the very least and had small chocolate brown eyes that looked like they were being sucked into his very face. He also had tan hair that almost reached his shoulders and a body that even bodybuilders would be envious of. Compared to me, he was a giant of mass proportions. And the way he battled wasn't bad either; how else would he have been able to get this far?

_Muscles and Brains…you don't see that everyday._

"Hey girl, I've had fun and all, but now its time to end this battle, already. Don't you agree?" The man asked, his voice carrying a rough English accent.

I smiled. "I couldn't agree more….Ready Blaziken?" I asked.

"Blaze! Blaziken!" The fire/fighting pokemon yelled.

_Then let's do this. "_Blaziken, use flamethrower!" I commanded.

And so with a powerful cry, the pokemon unleashed a breath of fire from its mouth, sending the attack toward Salamence, almost as if it was alive and wanted nothing more than to consume the dragon whole, flesh and all.

My opponent let a bellow of laughter. "You think we'll fall that easily? Don't make me laugh! Salamence! Block that attack!" He commanded.

The Salamence nodded to its master's command, spreading it's large crimson wings in front of itself for protection.

The flames then hit the wings of the Salamence in a forceful way that was evidently failing because the dragon didn't even flinch an inch. However, busy shielding itself from the attack, the dragon pokemon was too preoccupied to notice what I did next.

"Blaziken, use quick attack to get closer to Salamence!" I shouted.

The fire pokemon nodded obediently and literally sprang into action. Its long legs began dashing across the arena and the dust followed in its wake, making a miniature dust storm that had a enough wind behind it to blow me back a few feet.

_That's the way to do it Blaziken. Keep on at it! _I inwardly cheered.

Closer and closer Blaziken got to Salamence, until it was only a few feet away and close enough to throw a powerful attack that would finish Salamence off once and for all. With my pulse racing, I was only too happy to order the next attack.

"Now Blaziken, use Sky uppercut!"

Blaziken growled in reply as it approached Salamence, its fist starting to glow pure white. Charged with power, its fist was just an inch away when my opponent made things even more difficult.

Snorting, the man barked, "Salamence, counter with brick break!"

And faster than lightning, claws and fist collided in a flash, causing the air to explode with a loud smacking sound. The collision caused both pokemon to be pushed back a few feet from the force of it all, and already both pokemon were showing more signs of weakness.

My Blaziken was doubled over in exhaustion, gasping for air as it fought to stay conscious. It seemed intent on winning this battle no matter what would happen and when I started to take out its poke ball, its amber eyes turned to glare at me.

"Blaziken…" I whispered in awe, no more words able to suffice. Its expression softened in reply, however its eyes still remained filled with that unquestionable strength of trust and determination more or less saying: _Its not time to give up yet, Maria. Not yet. _

And Blaziken was right.

We exchanged nods after a moment's glance at each other, and with rebound strength, the pokemon turned and stood with confidence to look at our opponents.

Salamence's head hung low as it breathed in deep gasps of air and fought to stay up. Scratches covered its body from head to toe and its claws had forced themselves into the ground. It's eyes were bloodshot and weary as it forced to keep its head up, and it looked like it wanted to collapse at any moment on hard unforeseen ground. I felt sorry for the poor thing in a way.

Its trainer however looked even more frustrated and angry at the direction of which the battle had taken and refused to admit that his pokemon was weak from exhaustion. His fists clenched and tight, he pointed at Blaziken and screamed," We aren't losing yet Salamence! Use Aerial Ace!"

The Salamence's head shot up in response to the command and it let out a battle cry (or roar) with the last bit of its strength. Then, straitening its body into a battle position, the pokemon used its massive wings to lift it up in the air. Flapping its wings in a rapid motion, it flew forward in a quick fashion, gaining speed in the process.

I gritted my teeth. There was no way Blaziken could avoid that attack, considering how weak it was. We only had one choice: face the enemy pokemon head on or Blaziken was done for.

"Blaziken, I said calmly, it looks like its time we resort to drastic measures."

It turned its head to face me. "Blaze…Blaziken?" It growled questioningly, knowing exactly what I was talking about.

"Yes, Blaziken. It's our only chance." I explained. "Think you can do it?"

It nodded. "Blaze. Blaziken."

I wiped the sweat from my eyes. "All right then. Blaziken, meet Salamence head on while using thunder punch!" I commanded.

With a growl, Blaziken started running. Electricity began building from its fist and crackled with pure 1000 volt power as Blaziken's body also became surround by electricity from the intensity of it all. The cloak of electricity was both beautiful and menacing and justly reflected how much training Blaziken underwent in the past.

The crowd of people were going nuts now after the long pregnant silence of which they had, the cheers of excitement echoing around the whole stadium. It was both rejuvenating and scary of how pumped up the stadium was. But, it was hard to say who they were cheering for, and who they thought was going to win the battle. Was it me and Blaziken? Or was it my opponent and his Salamence? All of it was nerve racking.

I shook my head in frustration. I was panicking. Panicking like a girly girl who doesn't have a dress for the prom.

_Focus Maria. You can do this. Just remember how much training you and your pokemon have undergone for this moment. There's no turning back now. Focus. _I told myself.

I sighed. No matter what I said, I was panicking. But I needed to focus on the battle as I was doing it, that much was certain.

Blaziken and Salamence were now so close that they looked as though they collide at any moment, the cloak of electricity around Blaziken even brighter. This was it, the final move that would be the decision of who would win this battle.

Now they were just a few feet apart, like wolves who fought each from dominance. It was time for me to end this battle.

"Blaziken, now jump up and hit Salamence on its back, using all the electricity you can muster!" I shouted.

My opponent looked wide eyed with shock. "Wh-What? No! Salamence stop!" He protested.

But it was too late. With a savage cry to the heavens, Blaziken jumped up and delivered an electrified fist of pure power on the Salamence's back. It sent Salamence and Blaziken down onto the ground in seconds, and left the air filled with a loud boom. Dust covered the crashing of the two upon the ground and once it cleared, there stood a victor.

The pokemon was covered with scratches and bent over in exhaustion, but still conscious as it stood on the other pokemon's unconscious body. It was Blaziken.

The crowd went nuts again at the sight of the victor, sending a wave of pride washing over me at my pokemon's impressive win.

"And Joshua's Salamence is unable to battle! The winners are Blaziken and Maria!" The judge shouted in excitement.

Joshua, the name of my opponent apparently, looked shocked and heart broken beyond belief. He looked that way for a moment before saying with a proud, but heavy heart," That was a great battle Salamence. You were great my friend of old. Now take a nice, rewarded rest." And with that he returned Salamence to his pokeball.

I don't know exactly how I felt. I don't know if it was shock or happiness or both. But I know one thing for certain. I was proud of Blaziken and all of my other pokemon. Proud of how far we had all gotten. I ran with eager vigor toward Blaziken on the battle field, and immediately hugged the fire pokemon with such happiness that I was crying, saying "You were great Blaziken. You were great."

The pokemon looked down at me with reflected happiness and hugged me tightly in response. To say I couldn't breathe was an understatement, but sill I was happy. Happy beyond belief. We had won. Won beyond a shadow of a doubt.

A day had passed since the battle between Joshua and I. I was still naturally in a state of shock because I had won the Hoenn league championship. But then again, who wouldn't be? After all, this was a step closer to facing the actual elite four of the Hoenn, which were some of the most powerful trainers in the entire world. It was simply nauseating to think about it in all honesty. But yet I had come so far in my quest to become a pokemon master, and so it wasn't time to quit from pressure.

The ceremony for winning this championship was just like they way I had seen it on TV when I was little. The winner and her pokemon were rewarded a trophy, medals, and a cash prize of 5000 poke dollars, along with a congrats by the host, which was the retired champion of the region (who's name was Steven). And then the winner would receive a good luck for the future battles with the elite four.

The trainer in second place would also receive a small cash prize, along with medals for accomplishing much even though they lost in the end. And for the other trainers, they'd be told to come back again next year and try again.

I can say that I was happy when the ceremony was completely over. I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than sleep, but my pokemon were still hyped up from winning, and therefore it would be impossible to put them in their pokeballs. So, instead of getting some shut eye, I decided that it'd be best if they could release some of their energy in a grassy area right by the Ever Grande city pokemon center.

I sat on a bench as I watched them play with each other and relax. The first thing I saw was my Meganium run around with Flaaffy on her back and my Altaria chase after them, pretending that it was a hungry predator. I also saw my Miliotic swimming around in a small pond without a care in the world and Blaziken lounge under a tree close by. And to top it all off my Delcatty was playing with a ball of yarn that it found on the ground. It was impossible for me not to laugh and watch them play around all day. It was so…peaceful. So relaxing.

"Maria?"

I yelped in surprise and fell off the bench onto the ground. "Ouch. That smarts…" I muttered, sitting up. I looked up a second later to find a woman with pink hair and a white nurses dress looking at with a concerned look on her delicate face; it was none other than Nurse Joy.

"Oh goodness! Are you all right?" She asked.

I rubbed my head and smiled. "Yeah, I'm all right. You just startled me Nurse Joy. I'm ok."

"Sorry…" She muttered, helping me up with surprisingly strong hands.

" It's ok." I assured her. "What was it you needed from me?" I asked.

"Your mother, Rebecca, just called just a moment ago. She wants you to call her back."

" My mother? What did she want to talk about?" I said.

Nurse Joy nodded. "Yes. She wants to talk about you going home for a small celebration soon."

_Home? The Orre region? _I thought surprised. _Then again, I should of expected this. It was bound to happen eventually. After all, I haven't been home for two years and I imagine my parents and brother would like to see me in flesh and blood; not on a TV phone. Eh, what the heck? I'm not battling the elite four for a few months, so a small vocation wouldn't hurt._

Nurse Joy cleared her throat. "Um Maria…?" She asked hesitantly.

I blinked. "Oh I see." I said. "I guess I better go talk to her then."

She nodded once more, and with a smile upon her face she said, "Follow me then."

Then we both headed for the pokemon center.

…**.And that's wrap for the prologue! **

**So, what did you think? Good? Bad? Needs work? **

**It was difficult to describe the pokemon battle, so please tell me what you think of it.**

**Thanks for reading! And remember: reviews are appreciated and loved! **


	2. Homecoming

**Ok everybody! I'm back again to add another chapter. (Finally) I worked on this all weekend so I hope you like it. :D **

**Also, thanks to the people who reviewed the prologue and gave me a lot of feedback. (I'm meaning littlmiget123, ****cazcappy, darkspear1, and Ein Storm.) Thanks a lot you guys!**

**Now…Enjoy!**_

Chapter 1: Homecoming

The doors opened to the Pokémon center, revealing the few Pokémon trainers who still lingered from the tournament and had yet to go on their separate ways. The room looked so deserted now, because of the lack of people and was very big compared to an ordinary Pokémon center with the many couches and a dozen snack machines spread across the reception area. A few Chansey could be seen hobbling about still, trying to clean any messes that they might of missed from before, and a heavy smell hung that smelt purely of cleaning supplies.

"Here we are." Nurse Joy said kindly after a few moments, gesturing now to the visible TV phones on the desks by the wall. I sat down in one of the chairs by the desks, glad that I could finally sit down.

"Thanks Nurse Joy." I said quietly, looking up at the young nurse.

She smiled. "Anytime." She said, nodding. Then she walked away, the sound of her retreating foot steps making a light tap against the floor.

I turned back to the TV phones after a few moments, glancing at the screen and dials.

_Here goes nothing. _I thought, a small sigh escaping my lips. Then I picked up the phone and dialed. The screen turned on, blue with a message on it that said:

**Contacting Phone Number. Please Wait…**

I tapped my fingers against the desk impatiently, wanting nothing more than to talk to the women who gave birth to me and see her face, and her kind green eyes. I could feel a sudden sensation run through my body as I waited, making me bite my lip. I knew immediately what it was too. I was homesick, whether I liked it or not. But then again who wouldn't be after two years of being on a journey? Silly me.

The TV phone made a small beeping sound after a few seconds and then the screen changed, showing a women in her mid forties with purple hair.

"Hello?" She said.

"Hello Mom. Guess who it is?"

The women on the screen looked at me for a second, and then suddenly, her face changed into a face of absolute relief, a smile forming at the corners of her mouth.

"Maria! Sweetie! Am I ever glad to hear your voice!" She chimed excitedly, her green eyes wide.

I couldn't help but laugh out of relief. Well, at least she wasn't scolding me, that was a plus. The last thing I wanted was for her to start lecturing me, asking me why the hell I didn't call her sooner. It'd been almost a month since I last called, and so most parents would be very worried. This was why I loved my mom more than anything- she wasn't very strict and tight- on the contrary, she was very lose and still acted like she was only 16, all the while caring for me and my brother in the best way she could.

"Hey mom." I replied back, just as excited at seeing her as she was me. "How is every one over there? Is Dad still a work aholic?"

At the mention of my father, my mother's face fell. She sighed. "Yes. He's still very much a work aholic, and he barely allows himself to get any rest these days. He's always so stressed and a bit irritable and most days, he stays at the lab working until its well past dark. I've tried to get him to relax, but he always ignores me. Your brother, Adien, is sad because his father doesn't play with him…"

I raised an eyebrow. " Is it because of Dad's research? Is he perhaps on a new project?" I suggested. "Maybe that why."

My father, Robert Rose, was an absolute genius when it came to his work, and as a result he was very dedicated to every project that he was given. I didn't know much about his job, except that it was some type of complicated Pokémon research that would apparently "change the world" so I didn't ask him much about his work just for the sake of my sanity. It was simply safer that way. But, honestly, my father could often be careless at home. Even as a little girl, I myself would sometimes hate my father for his inability to play with me, so I understood exactly how Adien felt.

She nodded. "Perhaps that's it Maria…But even so, I still think it'd be great if you came for a little while, you know- to loosen things up and wish you luck in fighting the Elite Four. What do you say?" she said hopefully.

"Of course mom!" I said grinning. "But first, how am I going to get home?"

My mother's eyes twinkled enthusiastically. "I've already figured that out, dear. You're going home on the new boat, the S.S Myra, which goes to Gateton Port from Ever Grande City! I've already gotten you a ticket so there's no need to worry. Nurse Joy has it right now, so just ask her for it, okay?"

I nodded. "Okay Mom. Do you know how long it'll take for the boat to arrive at Gateton Port?"

"I think about three to five days." She said happily. "Your father, Adien and I will be waiting for you, so don't worry Maria. Now, I've got to go, so come home in one piece. Please." She added.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "I'll try mother"

"You better."

Then the screen turned off, showing me nothing but the reflection of my own face in the black screen.

**~O.o.O.o.O.o,O.o~**

After talking to my mother, I lazed around for about twenty minutes or so, getting something to snack on and thinking what it'd be like to go home for a little while. Part of me, admittedly, was scared of what it would be like because of the fact I had been gone for two years and things had probably changed drastically, while another part of me was imagining the sweet smell of home, which laid a few miles outside of a small town called Portsmouth, surrounded by lovely oak trees and wild Pokémon…

The thought was so tempting that I finally decided to ask Nurse Joy when the boat would depart for my beloved home.

I found her at the main desk where she was currently giving a trainer his Pokémon back after healing them. He had sandy brown hair and blue eyes and a few freckles that etched across his skin and looked to be a few years younger than I, wearing glasses that looked too big for him.

'Thanks Nurse Joy." He said, after putting the Poké Balls in his pocket.

"It was my pleasure."

The boy nodded and then began walking away toward the door, managing to sneak a glance at my direction as he headed for the door. For some reason, his cheeks reddened as he looked at me and not realizing that his shoes were untied, almost tripped before he made it to the door, mumbling curses of complaint. Finally he made it to the door and without a second glance, walked out to probably find another adventure…or get me a bouquet of roses, which I really hoped wasn't the case.

Resisting the urge to shudder at the thought, I walked up to the counter.

"Nurse Joy?" I asked. "My mother said she told you to hold on to a boat ticket for me. Do you have it?"

"Of course." She replied. Turning around, she disappeared into a room behind her and began searching. After a few moments she returned, carrying a white envelope and handed it to me. I looked into it and indeed saw a ticket at the bottom. I put it into one of my pockets and then asked, "Nurse Joy, when is the boat leaving?"

"In a few hours." Nurse Joy remarked. "The port is on the other side of town, but it shouldn't take you very long to get there. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. And well, I really don't want to miss my chance at getting home." I admitted.

She smiled. "You wont."

The two hours passed by quicker than I would of ever imagined surprisingly. After departing from the Pokémon center, I found myself looking around the city, eyeing all the various shops and many people that still filled the streets, a lot of them just those that had probably just watched the Pokémon championship. As I walked around I noticed people stare at me and whisper excitedly in a neighbors ear, pointing out that I was the champion or asking for my autograph. It was odd to say the least. I didn't really like all this attention by any means, but I didn't tell them that. I didn't want to damper their spirits by saying that I was annoyed, so instead I just smiled half-heartedly at their praise and bared it.

I was glad when I finally reached the port. The ship, the S.S Myra, was massive. It cast a giant shadow on the peer and blocked out the sun's rays as people got on it, making the area colder by ten degrees. By the looks of it, it looked like the ship was reaching its full capacity, and people waved down at their loved ones for the trip they were about to take.

The sea was calm and beautiful as ever, with not a wave to be seen. It was impossible to tell what laid under the water by the boat, but yet, I could just tell that many water Pokémon's beady eyes were looking curiously at the contraption that was in their home and at the various people that were on it under the sea's sparkling blue water waters. Wingulls flew above the great ship and cawed as well, making many people on the ship bring out their cameras and take pictures at them just for the fun of it.

Giving my ticket to a man who worked on the ship, I walked up the stairs upon the ship and waited for the ship to depart for the my home, the Orre region.

**~O.o.O.o.O.o,O.o~**

"I told you, little boy, I don't want to battle right now. You understand?" I was annoyed. Not an hour after I had gotten on this ship, this random little boy had started pestering me, ordering that we battle. But the fact of the matter is that I would _destroy _him in battle and I really didn't want to crush the little's guy's morale at becoming a Pokémon trainer. I was being nice, merciful.

But sadly, the kid hadn't listened to me at all. He kept bugging me saying all that he could beat me and that I was a chicken for refusing, which normally, I would of just ignored. But now it had already been a _day _and I wanted him out of my hair already.

The little boy just stuck his tongue out at me. "You're a chicken, lady. A big BIG chicken." Then he started mocking me with chicken calls and it didn't look like he'd shut up anytime soon.

It took all my efforts to not throw him into the sea. "Where's your mother?" I hissed. "Maybe she could take care of you brat and give you a good smacking!"

The boy looked at me un phased. "My mom's with my daddy somewhere. She said I could go do whatever I wanted as long as I didn't go too far from them and guess what? I wanted to battle and then I saw you, miss chicken! So battle me you coward!" He yelled.

I clenched my fists and then tried to relax. "That's some big talk for such a little boy. I feel sorry for any one that has to listen to you be a brat twenty four seven." I said in a mockingly sweet tone.

The boy looked like he was going to throw a tantrum. "I'll show you lady! Prepare to lose! Go, Squirtle!" He called, throwing a Poké Ball into the air. Once the ball opened, light started streaming out onto the ground, condensing into a shape. The light grew legs, a head, tail, and then a shell and then color surrounded the shape, revealing a small blue turtle like creature that stood on its hind legs with arms that were balled into challenging fists, begging to fight.

"Squirt!" The creature exclaimed, its blue eyes ablaze.

"Whatdaya think now lady?" The boy said proudly. "My Squirtle's the ultimate Pokémon! Prepare to lose!"

I scoffed. _Overconfident brat. I'll show you what _I _think. _

I pulled out a Poké Ball from my pocket. "Don't say I didn't warn you little boy." I said calmly. "Go Meganium!" I cried, throwing the Poké Ball. And just like when the little boy threw his Poké Ball, light rushed from the container forming into a shape that was quite different then his Squirtle. Instead, it was quite larger of a shape, with a large neck and antenna like shapes on the top of it. It had four legs and a tail and once color had surrounded it, a tall green dinosaur like creature with a flower around its neck appeared, a gentle, calming, look upon its face.

"Manum!" It cried, getting into a battle pose.

"This is my starter Pokémon." I told the boy. "I've had her since I was little, so don't expect an easy fight, kid." Meganium cried in agreement.

"Whatever." The boy sneered. "You'll still lose! Now Squirtle, use Water Gun!"

The turtle like creature nodded and released a blast of water from its mouth, with as much energy as it muster. It headed straight toward Meganium in a concentrated beam, but I wasn't worried. I didn't have to command my Pokémon to do anything, for as soon as the blast reached her, Meganium just flicked it away with ease.

The boy let out a small growl, frustrated that his attack had no effect. "We're not finished yet!" He yelled. "Squritle now use Rapid Spin!"

Then the Squirtle put its head and legs into its shell and began to spin faster and faster upon the ship's wooden floor until all you saw was a blue ball. Once the shell was fast enough, the Pokémon hurtled itself toward Meganium, spinning though the air.

"So that's the way you want to play." I muttered. "Well then, Meganium intercept that rapid spin with Head Butt!"

"Manum!" Meganium exclaimed as it started to run toward the shell. It lowered it head to match the direction of the projectile and soon the two Pokémon clashed, sending the Squirtle back flying, almost landing into its trainer's arms. But sadly it didn't get that far, for it landed with a thump on the ground in front of the boy and soon tears began to well up in its eyes.

_Is it…going to cry? _I wondered. _I hope not._

The boy kneeled down to the small, trembling Pokémon, worry sketched upon his face. "Don't cry, Squirtle! We can still do this!" He said confidently, trying to calm it. The small turtle nodded slowly after a moment, and then wiped away its tears, showing the little boy that it was ok. Then it stood back up, a determined look on its face.

_Well, what do you know…the little boy and his Pokémon do have a bond. I'm surprised. Let's see what they got._

"Now squritle! Use Ice Beam!" The little boy yelled.

_Wait. Ice Beam? Now that's a surprise! _I thought, honestly surprised. Who knew the little brat could teach his Squirtle a powerful move? I better be prepared, for if that move somehow hits Meganium, it might cause a lot of damage…

A ball of blue glowing ice began to form from the little turtle's mouth as it concentrated hard to gather enough power, the floor around it, starting to cover with ice from the cold. It was impressive to say the least, but the question was: could the little turtle handle that power?

When at last the turtle had gathered enough power, it let out a cry and released it, making a beam of ice form that was heading straight toward Meganium.

I knew I had to act fast. "Meganium use Light Screen!" I ordered quickly.

Meganium nodded and soon an practically invisible shield appeared in front of the Pokémon. The Ice Beam hit the wall just a second later, bouncing off it and reflecting straight back toward the Pokémon who had cast it. Squritle and the little boy were shocked, but they had no time to react to the sudden change. Then the beam hit the Pokémon, turning the little turtle into a Squritle icicle.

"No! Squritle!" The little boy cried.

"Now, its time to finish this!" I yelled. "Meganium, let's end this battle with a Body Slam!"

The plant Pokémon began dashing toward the frozen Squirtle and then leaped it the air above the little Pokémon. With a loud boom, Meganium landed onto of the Pokémon, making ice shards go every where. Once Meganium got off, a knocked out and perhaps smooched Squritle could be seen, its leg twitching.

"Squrit…" The Pokémon said feebly.

The little boy ran over to his Pokémon and picked it up into his arms. "Squirtle are you okay?"

It nodded slowly, disappointment showing in its face. "Squritle…"

"You two have spunk all right." I said after a moment, walking forward with my partner at my side. The boy just looked at me confused. "What do you mean?" He asked.

I crossed the gap between us and grabbed a super potion from my bag. Opening it, I smiled. "I mean, I said slowly, beginning to spray the potion over Squirtle's body, that you two have potential."

"Potential…?" The boy whispered hopefully.

"Yes. And if you keep training like you are now, I'm sure you'll be a great trainer someday, so just keep training, okay? By the way, what's your name?"

"Maxwell." He replied meekly. "What's yours? I mean, I know you won the Hoenn championships and are going to challenge the Elite Four pretty soon, but…"

"It's Maria." I said, kindly, my anger for the boy beginning to vanish. "Maria Nicole Rose."

Maxwell nodded. "I'll remember that. " He looked down guiltily. "And…I'm sorry for bugging you like I did…I just really wanted to battle you…"

I waved my hand away dismissively, like it was ancient history. "It's alright. No harm done."

And at precisely that moment, a women came from behind the corner, looking extremely pissed off, her face all red.

"MAXWELL! What the hell have you been doing?" She shrieked. "I've been looking all over for you all day and I've been hearing about a certain boy annoying the champion for a battle! And look what I found! It looks like you forced this poor girl to battle you!"

Maxwell retreated back a few steps from the woman. "Mom…You did say I could do whatever I wanted…So I thought-"

"ENOUGH! You're grounded no doubt about it! Wait until I tell your father about this…He'll make sure you have no fun the rest of this trip!"

Maxwell's eyes grew wide. "But…But! Mom…." He wined.

I stepped forward. "So you're Maxwell's mother, right?" I said. "Well, he did annoy me a lot, but it was because he wanted to battle me badly. So we did, and I sense that he'll become a good trainer down the road, so please don't punish him. It's my fault too."

The woman's face softened slightly, although her mouth remained in a hard thin line. "None the less, he did disobey me, so I have no choice but to punish him. I apologize for my son's behavior. Now excuse us." She grabbed Maxwell's ear. "You're coming with me mister."

Maxwell yelped as his mother yanked him away by the ear, the Squirtle following hastily now that its wounds were healed. I could hear the woman yelling at the boy as she dragged him across the boat, people staring at them all the while.

_Poor kid. _I thought, shaking my head.

Then as I turned around to go back to my cabin I heard a shuffling of feet from behind, along with loud whispers.

"Please tell me that's not what I think it is." I moaned.

But it was exactly what I feared. A hoard of fans and Pokémon trainers stood next to each other, some of them carrying notebooks.

"Hey Miss Maria, can I have your autograph? Please!" One of them begged, holding out a notebook and a pen.

"Yeah!" Another one agreed. "Can I have an autograph?"

"Can you teach me how to battle?"

"Can I see your Pokémon?"

"Would you go out with me?"

"Please, sign my forehead!"

"Where do you live?"

"What's your favorite color?"

The crowd advanced on me, walking so close that I found myself and Meganium backed against a wall, surrounded. I knew we couldn't escape, which was the worst possible situation.

I suddenly felt very claustrophobic and began sweating.

_Why me? _I inwardly groaned.

And then chaos ensued.

**~O.o.O.o.O.o,O.o~**

I groaned loudly as I collapsed down upon the bed in my cabin, breathing heavily.

After finally managing to get away from the crowd after two hours of fighting them off, making an excuse that I had a contagious disease that could kill them, Meganium and I were simply exhausted. My muscles ached from the tremendous activity of running, and I was almost certain that I'd lost five pounds as a result.

"Who knew being a champion of the league would be so hard?" I moaned aloud.

Meganium just shook her head, letting out a tired sigh.

I fumbled around for her Poké Ball in my pocket so that she could rest. "Take a good rest." I mumbled after I had found the container. She nodded and then the red light enveloped her, sending her back into the Poké Ball.

"You're so lucky that you can actually get away from the world." I grunted, looking at the Poké Ball. I had always found it intriguing how such a contraption could hold a living being inside of it and what it was like for a pokemon within it. Were they put in suspended animation or something? Was there a literal paradise within in the little thing that kept them happy?

Ugh, I could never understand how science worked…So confusing….

With the concept of Pokémon physics in my mind, I found myself begin to the doze there, my eyes growing heavy. And before I knew it, I had fallen asleep.

Over the next few days, I did my best to avoid all the crazy fans who had been chasing me by staying in my cabin most of the time, just trying to…relax, have fun.

I didn't have much luck with that.

I don't know what was worse! Being absolutely bored in the cabin or being chased by crazy fans who didn't get the memo that I didn't want to sigh autographs or fulfill some of their ridiculous requests! One kid had even asked me if he could take a picture of me so that he could make a giant cut out of me and…have 'fun' with it. That creeps me out beyond words even now and I can't help but shudder when I think about it…What the heck was with people these days? That was a question. I'm sure Pokémon champions before me didn't have to go through this crap…

You can imagine my relief when the captain of the ship said that we were about twenty minutes from Gateton Port. I felt like going up and hugging the man out of gratitude. The only words going through my head at that point were: _Thank Arceus! _

I actually felt safe going out of my cabin after the captain's announcement, surprisingly, and actually managed to relax interrupted through the rest of the ride. The sun was high in the sky at that point and the sea sparkled a beautiful cerulean blue under its rays. In the distance, which was getting closer, a lighthouse could be seen resting upon a cliff being splashed by the angry waves of the sea. Boats laid in the waters around it and port could be seen behind it, along with a town. It was Gateton Port.

When at last the ship had stopped in the shallow waters of the port, it felt so _odd_. I could remembered everything in perfect detail; from the Crabby Club, which a lot of sailors often hung out in, to the mechanical shop, which was owned by a man named Perr. Everything was the same as how I had left it when I had departed for my journey. That was good.

As I got off the ship, I instantly began looking for the familiar faces which were part of my family. At first I didn't see anything except the crowd of people getting off, so I just walked around until I saw three people coming toward me grins on their faces. One of them even began running toward me.

I instantly recognized him.

His hair was a dark muddy brown, and freckles were spread across his face that seemed to smile themselves as he approached me. He had kind green eyes, along with that ever childish curiosity that twinkled at the corner of his eyes. I couldn't help but smile.

"Adien!" I cried in pleasure. My little brother hugged me tightly for a long time, before at last he let go saying: "I missed you sister!"

"I missed you too little bro." I grinned, messing up his hair. The other two people walked forward too, both of them being my parents. My mother, ever the cheerful free spirited one, and my father, the calm intellectual one with piercing blue eyes who wore glasses almost always.

I ran toward them.

"Mom! Dad!" I cried happily, embracing them.

My father let out a rumble that took me a minute to recognize as a chuckle. "Hey kiddo. It's good to have you home. We've all missed you."

My mother jumped up and down happily. "Thank goodness you're home." She hugged me tighter before releasing me. "Wait until you see what we have planned for you! We're going to throw a big feast for you and wish you good luck battling the Elite Four!"

"Yeah!" Adien piped up. "Just you wait!"

"I can't wait." I said happily.

My father cocked his head questioningly as he was looking down at me. "So was the trip getting here alright?" He asked.

I sweat dropped. "I don't really want to talk about it…"

"Why?"

"Don't ask. Please." I mumbled, remembering all the crazy fans.

My parents just looked at each other.

_**Heh. And there you have it! **

**I plan to start working on the next chapter pretty soon…so be prepared! Hopefully I'll have it up sometime during Thanksgiving Break, which is sometime next week.**

**Anyway, this story will get a tons better. I promise.**

**Now press the review button! Press it! O.e**


End file.
